This invention relates generally fastening devices and in particular to devices for binding loads on trucks and other vehicles.
It is currently the practice in the trucking industry to attach load binding ropes, chains and other bindings, to hooks that are welded to the peripheral metal frame surrounding the truck bed or to other metallic structural parts of the truck or trailer that are convenient and accessible.
The common locations for these load binding hooks are generally exposed and subject to frequent damage from unintentional bumps, impacts, overloads and the like, causing the welds to fail and the hooks to be lost or made unusable.
These hook failures almost always occur while the vehicle is on the road where spare hooks and welding equipment are not available.
Because most truck and trailer beds are constructed from a base support frame of I-beams, and because these I-beams extend laterally under the truck or trailer bed, they represent a good location for attachment of a load binding hook.
The prior art methods of attaching devices, such as hooks or the like, to an I-beam include two-part devices having U-shaped legs that wrap around the I-beam flange with a clamping device to hold the two parts together.
Other prior art methods include a plier-like gripping member whose jaws engage the two edges of the I-beam flange in combination with a cam device for maintaining the gripping pressure against the flange edges.
All the prior art devices are more complicated and costlier to produce than the device of the present invention.
In addition, there is no indication that these prior art devices were eve used or were conveniently adaptable for use on a truck or trailer.